Payne's Hollow

I7I Party Animal

Warning: This chapter contains graphic violence.

Carly was up and running before the werewolf remembered there was one more morsel for it to nibble on. She hated the idea of leaving the boy behind, but from the sound of flesh tearing and bones snapping, she prayed he wasn't still alive.

She went back the way she had come, making a beeline for the party. Once the werewolf was done guzzling on its victim, it would undoubtedly turn its attention to the party. She had to get there before the beast and warn everyone.

She burst onto the dance floor, hastily trying to avoid the sea of whirling bodies. It was a difficult task and she repeatedly bumped against people, pushing and shoving and stepping on feet as she made her way through.

"I need to make an announcement." She practically threw herself against the DJ's table, red in the face and jittery. The DJ seemed to be far too engrossed in the music and she had to wrench away the headphones to get his attention.

"I need to make an announcement," She repeated through gritted teeth. Seeing the frantic and wild look in her eyes, the DJ backed off. Carly grabbed the microphone and turned off the music, causing everyone to stop dancing abruptly and turn to her in outrage.

"Party's over!" She shouted urgently into the microphone. "Get the hell out of here, there's a werewolf on the loose!"

What followed was a moment of stunned silence. Then came the first ripple of laughter, then another giggle and chuckle. Before she knew it, Carly had the whole gathering laughing at her.
"This is not a joke!" Carly said over the sound of laughter. "Get your drunken selves out of here if you want-"

A bone chilling howl cut across her words, silencing the crowd at once. Then, just as with the laughter, there was a startled gasp, a murmur and then a muffled scream before chaos broke loose. A hundred or so teenagers began screaming and yelling and crying in unison, the stench of fear tainting the peace of the night. The crowd jostled, pushing and shoving against one another as everyone tried to run. A stampede formed and those who were unable to keep up were lost in the sea of frantic teenagers. Boyfriends clutched their girlfriends, students dragging one another along, every face bearing the same wide eyed, pale look of sheer terror.

A large shadow circled around this chaos. In a flash, it appeared in the midst of the crowd, a lone figure towering above the rest. There was the sound of tearing clothes, an attempt at a cry for help falling on deaf ears. The next second, the screaming amplified, beads of blood taking to the air and catching in the glare of the party lights. The beast reared again and Carly could see the dark liquid that dribbled from its mouth, a severed hand clutching between its teeth.

"Carly!" She heard her name being called. Someone grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her away and pushing her behind an upturned bench. Carly struggled to her knees and looked around, staring into the terrified faces of Mark and Ashley.

"You're safe." Carly choked, grateful that her friends had not been caught in the fray. Ashley clung to Mark like a frightened child, tears sliding down her cheeks. Mark too looked deathly pale, trying his best to remain calm for Ashley's sake.

"It's blocking the way to the parking lot." Mark informed her, his voice quivering. "How the hell are we going to get out of here?"

"I think I know someone who can help." Carly said quickly, fishing out her phone and scrolling through her contact list.